Table Of Content

1328 / I29p ^ no.291 ILLINOIS DOCUMENTS c.3 MAR 2 9 2000 VISITORS’ GUIDE to the Illinois General Assembly UNIVERSrTY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 3 0112 116631935 LRumni LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH UNIT Welcome to the Capitol The Illinois General As¬ sembly is the main policy¬ making body for one of the most popu¬ lous and di¬ verse states in the nation. Legislators come here from places as different as the Chicago Loop and the sparsely populated counties of southern Illinois, all seeking to put the views of people of their districts into law. The results affect all of us in many ways, because most of the laws governing ba¬ sic human activities—education, marriage and di¬ vorce, driving, operating a business, buying or dis¬ posing of property—are made by state legislatures rather than Congress. The General Assembly meets through approximately the first five months of each year. In even-numbered years it considers mostly taxing and spending mea¬ sures; in odd-numbered years any kind of measure can be considered. If you visit the Capitol early in the year, most of the legislative activity will be in com¬ mittee hearings in various rooms in the Capitol and Stratton Building. In the spring legislators spend more and more time in session on the Senate or House floor, considering legislative bills that have come out of com¬ mittee. After the middle of the year some legislative commissions continue to work on longer-range pro¬ posals, and legislative support agencies do research or draft bills for use in the next session. The Illinois General Assembly follows the usual pattern for pas¬ sage of bills. A bill may be introduced in either the House or the Senate, where it is referred to commit¬ tee; if approved by the committee it is voted on by the full house, and if passed by that house sent to the other house. Unlike the President of the U.S., the Governor of Illi¬ nois may not only sign a bill or veto it, but instead reduce or eliminate items of expenditure in an appro¬ priation bill (“item” or “reduction” veto); or even pro¬ pose an amendment to a bill sent to him (“amenda¬ tory” veto). A bill vetoed in whole or in part by the Governor is sent back to the house where it was first introduced. The two houses can accept the Governor’s decision, or override it and enact the bill as originally passed. An override requires a three-fifths vote in each house (except for restoring a reduced appropriation, which requires only a majority). Legislators’ Districts Each of the 59 legislative districts is divided into two “representative districts.” One senator is elected from each legislative district and one representative is elected from each representative district, which results in a 59-member Senate and a 118-member House of Representatives. Senate & House Chambers Senate and House chambers are located on the third floor of the Capitol—the Senate in the north wing and the House of Representatives in the south wing. The floors of the houses are closed to nonmembers during sessions. Legislators may be paged by doorkeepers. Visiting the Galleries Galleries are on the fourth floor. Visitors are welcome and may move from one gallery to another during the sessions. Applause, loud talk, etc., is not permitted. If a group is visiting from your community, be sure to let your legislator know by registering at the Legisla¬ tive Research Unit Information Booth outside the Sen¬ ate chambers. Committee Hearings You may wish to attend a committee hearing. The schedule is available at the Information Booth on the third floor and is also posted on the information boards of the House and Senate, next to the main chamber doors. Hearings are open to the public. How A Bill Becomes Law Introduction of Bills Only legislators may introduce bills. After a bill is in¬ troduced, it is ordered printed and referred to the ap¬ propriate committee for consideration. Daily Calendars The House and Senate each issues a Daily Calendar which lists by number, name of chief sponsor, and topic all major business that may come before it that day— bills on first reading, second reading, and third read¬ ing, resolutions, etc.—as well as giving time and place of committee meetings with lists of bills to be heard. A copy of each day’s Calendar is on display at the Legislative Information Booth. Three Readings Each bill must be read by title on 3 different days in each house before it is passed. Reading by title pre¬ vents hasty action, and in practice the readings also mark key stages in the movement of a bill from intro¬ duction to passage. Notice of Hearings Legislative rules provide for advance notice (6 days) of hearings on bills in committees. The Illinois Con¬ stitution similarly requires “reasonable public notice of meetings, including a statement of subjects to be considered.” Committee Action The committee hearing allows the proponents and op¬ ponents to appear and give their views. You may tes¬ tify by registering with the committee clerk or inform¬ ing the chairman. A committee may recommend that a bill “do pass,” that it “do pass as amended,” or that it “do not pass;” if the latter occurs, the bill is ordi¬ narily dead. Amendments to Bills When a bill is called for second reading, amendments may be offered. Floor amendments approved for consideration by the Rules Committee in each house are voted up or down by a majority of those voting on the question. When a bill is called for third reading, it is voted on for passage. A roll call vote is required (this is usually done by using the electronic roll call system) and a majority of the members elected must vote in the af¬ firmative to pass a bill. Noncontroversial bills are sometimes placed on the “Consent Calendar” where a number of bills may, by agreement, be passed on the same roll call, although the record will show individual roll calls. Careful screening is required before a bill can be placed on the Consent Calendar. Concurrence of Other House A bill that is amended in the second house and then passed must be sent back to the first house for agree¬ ment. This is called concurrence. If concurrence is de¬ nied, the second house votes on whether to recede from its amendment. If it fails to recede, the bill is usually sent to a conference committee to attempt to work out a version agreeable to both houses. The bill passes if such a conference report is agreed to by a majority of the members elected in each house. Governor’s Action A bill that has passed both houses with the same word¬ ing must be presented to the Governor within 30 cal¬ endar days. If the Governor does not act on it within 60 days after receiving it, it becomes law without his signature. The Governor may sign the bill into law; recommend changes in it (an amendatory veto); veto or reduce in¬ dividual items in an appropriations bill; or veto the entire bill. The legislature can restore a reduction in an appro¬ priation item by vote of a majority of the members elected to each house. Rejecting any other kind of veto requires the votes of three-fifths of the members elected to each house. But accepting an amendatory veto requires only a majority of the members elected to each house. If that happens, the bill returns to the Governor for certification that the acceptance meets his recommendations. Executive Budget The Governor is required by law to submit his budget to the legislature “as soon as possible and not later than the third Wednesday in February of each year . . . .” The 1970 Constitution calls for a comprehensive budget that will be “a plan for expenditures and obligations during the fiscal year of every department, authority, public corporation and quasi-public corporation of the State, every State college and university, and every other public agency created by the State, but not of units of local government or school districts.” The state’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to the following June 30. Constitutional Changes Constitutional amendments must be submitted to the people for their approval. Under the Constitution, leg¬ islative action to submit such a proposal to the voters requires a three-fifths majority in each house. Popular ratification requires a majority of those voting at the election or three-fifths of those voting on the ques¬ tion. Amendments to the legislative article may also be initiated by popular petition. Legislative Officers Under the Constitution, the Senate elects its President from its own membership and the House elects its Speaker from its membership. The Constitution also recognizes the office of minority leader in each house. Elections and Districts Each of the state’s 59 legislative districts elects one senator. Each of the 59 legislative districts is divided into two representative districts, with one representa¬ tive elected from each district. Legislative districts are redrawn after each federal decennial census. Representatives serve 2-year terms. Senators are di¬ vided into three groups, serving terms of 2-4-4 years, 4-2-4 years, and 4-4-2 years respectively during the decade between redistricting. Legislative Sessions The General Assembly convenes annually on the sec¬ ond Wednesday of January. The Illinois Constitution encourages (but does not require) the General Assem¬ bly to adjourn by May 31. The Governor or the pre¬ siding officers may call special sessions. General Assembly Leaders Senator Senator James “Pate” Philip Emil Jones, Jr. Senate President Senate Democratic Leader Representative Representative Michael J. Madigan Lee A. Daniels Speaker of the House House Republican Leader How to Write to Your Legislator Legislators pay attention to mail. To communicate effectively: • Identify the subject of your concern as precisely as possible. • Explain the effects of the proposal. • State your position and explain why you hold it. • Write or type your name and address clearly so the legislator can respond. Addresses Senate Post Office, State House, Springfield, IL 62706 House Post Office, Stratton Bldg, Springfield, IL 62706 Information Booth The Legislative Information Booth, near the Senate side of the third floor, is a service to visitors of the General Assembly. Its volunteer staff provides cal¬ endars, publications, and answers to your questions. Publication 291 RECYCLED PAPER • SOYBEAN INKS • PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS LPU ORDER 26579 • March 2000 • 3,500 COPIES